Key Verse…”For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21
19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.
Philippians 1:19-26
The reason I live is to know, love and serve Jesus Christ. Paul says in this passage that “to die is great gain”. I know that many people are so afraid of dying. The idea of dying and the end of life here on earth can be a bit much to fathom and so people don’t really want to think about it.
Do You Think About Eternity In Heaven?
I wonder at times, being a believer and Christ-follower, if we just don’t hear or think enough about heaven and about eternity with God. We will no longer shed tears over tough situations in our life. He is going to wipe away every single tear from our eyes. If you haven’t experienced hard times in your life, you probably will at some point. But we will not experience sin or the brokenness that comes with sin there and no more separation from God.
Some have enjoyed life and continue having a good time here on earth and don’t sit down and think much about eternity. Unfortunately, I don’t hear pastors talk about it much anymore. Honestly, I don’t remember the last time I heard a pastor speak on heaven and eternity with Christ. I hear pastors talk about salvation and usually only from the standpoint of being saved from hell. And that might include a nod to heaven for eternity. I wonder if many people would feel differently about being here on earth vs being in heaven if they heard more and thought more about heaven and spending eternity with God.
Focus On Eternity With Christ … Not Dying
You see, dying doesn’t represent all of eternity. The physical part of actually dying happens, then there is eternity, wherever we will spend it. If you think about it, heaven will be amazing to experience. Sure, your family and friends will miss you, but for you to actually experience this someday, don’t you think heaven will be GREAT? If you are ill or have disabilities, you won’t have them anymore! If someone in your family or a friend has hurt you, it won’t hurt anymore. They can’t hurt you anymore! This may seem morbid to some of you who don’t want to even think of or talk about death; but I look at death as the gateway to my eternity with Him and I honestly really look forward to it!
When you think about this key verse, “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain,” what do you think? Will you find dying, a gain or loss? As believers, it really should be a great gain to see God for the first time, fall at His feet and worship, spending all of eternity with Him. Honestly, I can’t wait!
Covid-19 Produced Fear
When Covid was first introduced in the United States two years ago, there was such a fear in people. I knew many who knew the Lord that were very afraid as well. Even people who worked in the medical field, seemed afraid. They just really did not know what to expect if or when they came down with Covid-19. Rules went into effect like wearing a face mask and we had to stand at least 6 feet away from another person. Even at the grocery store, staff wanted us to not be in the same aisle as other people or go in a completely different direction.
The quarantine rules were strict and we stayed away from our entire family in our own homes and a family member left meals outside of the door so that no germs were spread. Now, we have more experience, vaccines are available and many of us don’t have the fear that so many were honestly SO Afraid of.
Truthfully, my husband and I were not afraid. We had things to do, like going to a store. We were right in the middle of a house project, remodeling our master bathroom and needed to get it done. We needed a working toilet and working shower and sink. We knew that the immune system would only be weaker and we would be more prone to contract the virus if we hid in the house all the time.
More than any of these factors though, we knew that our home in heaven is waiting for us if we passed away from any illness, even Covid 19. We knew that to fear was not allowing God full control in our life, so we allowed God to make the decision when we passed from this earth to eternity. It’s amazing how liberating it is when we simply take God at His word and trust that He knows what is best and He has a design for our lives.
To Live Is Christ
The first part of the key verse I chose is “for to me to live is Christ.” My worth and purpose is to live for Christ. I have a reason to live as a believer and a Christ follower! Paul traveled and taught. He started churches, ministered to people and wrote back to the churches that he was once at, like at Philippi. He told the Philippians that he was thankful that they prayed for him in the situation that he was in, being in chains in prison.
Paul did not know what would come of his situation there, but he understood that God would provide for him, God had a purpose in his circumstances and that he would be delivered. But how would he be delivered? He would either get out of prison or he would go to be with his Savior. Paul recognized that he could be delivered by going to heaven and this was a good way to be delivered.
Paul did not want to be ashamed either way. By death or by life, he would live in courage and wanted Christ to be exalted (or lifted up) with his body however the Lord saw fit to take care of him. Sure, Paul may have really wondered what death would be like and how he would get through any persecution and physical difficulty he would face. But he knew that he would be with Christ either way. So, this passage provides us our key verse next
For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21
Let Your Purpose Be In Knowing Christ
What an example this is to us! We have a purpose to live for, which is Christ, and dying is gain! It is not loss for us, of course this is for Believers. It is a loss for unbelievers. But they do not have the same purpose in their life. They don’t have the hope that we have and they also don’t have the same security that we have in Christ. This is a wonderful part of Christ’s gift that we don’t often think about.
If you are not a believer in Christ yet, please don’t hesitate for a moment to come to Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. Please, let me know so that I can help you any way possible, to know Christ. This is eternity - from now on - and it will never end. It will be the end of your physical life on earth, but you will go to heaven or hell, depending on if you have a real relationship with Christ.
Getting “saved” is not just having fire insurance that keeps us from hell.
Our relationship with God is meant to be for now as well, while we still live on earth. If you have no more motivation for a relationship with God than to not go to hell, examine why. I can’t say as I am not you, but God really does love you as He created you and wants you to spend eternity with Him. He took care of your sin on the cross, was buried and rose again. He didn’t think of only heaven eventually for each of us. A relationship with us was His original plan and still is what He desires for each of us.
Paul Was Torn - Ministry With People or Be With Christ
Next, Paul says in verse 22
If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!
Philippians 1:22
Basically, Paul knows that he will be productive and see fruit from his ministry with people. Then he says, “Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! This says to me that he really wasn’t sure. Verse 23 states even that he was torn between the two.
He knew that his desire was to be with Christ, in person. It takes a real relationship and love for Christ to want to be with Him more than to stay here on earth. Also, he knew that being with Christ is far better. But what Paul knew was that it was more necessary for the Philippian church if he remained in his fleshly body here on earth. Now, it seems to me that Paul was thinking through his whole situation in regards to what was best for everyone if he lived or died.
Now, Paul Is Convinced
He says that he is convinced. This suggests that he has no questions what is best. He probably really does want to go see his Savior, but he realized that he will remain and continue with the church in Philippi, guiding their progress and see their “joy in the faith.” With Paul hanging around the Philippian church more, they would give credit to Christ Jesus even more because Paul invested his time with them.
Desire To Be With Christ
So, if we give our life to serving our Lord and Savior, we have an incredible eternity to look forward to, but we also have quite a life of impacting people for Christ. We may feel “torn between the two” also. But in order to be torn, we need to have a great desire to be with Christ, not just be on earth doing what is temporary, but serve an eternal purpose. A passion and real love for Him is truly necessary, plus a love for people that He loves as well, to reach and see them progress in their spiritual life. So, what is the purpose God has for you? Are you torn between the two? So, what will you do?
My Purpose Now … Until Then
Have you ever had a “close call”? Did you hear the Lord speak to you and get your attention, telling you that He was keeping you here for a reason? Did you listen? I had a few “close calls” with my health a few years ago. I wasn’t sure after a doctor messed up my medication five years ago, if I would walk again or eat regular food. What the Lord said to me though, was that He was keeping me alive to serve an eternal purpose. He wanted me to write, to share His Word with other people all over the world. Now, I love writing but I wasn’t sure how this all would happen. I do believe that this is His purpose for my life.
I read these same verses in Philippians over and over again and believe what Paul says here. In his song “Reason I Sing”, Phil Wickham explains the Lord’s purpose for his life, with eternity in mind. While I have plenty of time to think of heaven and I learned more from studying John’s Revelation earlier this year; I so look forward to the joy of meeting my Savior and worshipping Him.
I have to look at what God has for me to do here while I am still alive physically. Is serving Him most important? Yes. Am I torn between the two? Yes I am, but I am convinced like Paul says, that I will remain and continue with all of you…”
“Everything that is not eternal is worthless in eternity.” -C.S.Lewis
Very good, Becky. I also love Hymn of
Heaven by Phil Wickham.